SF Amituana I F FALETOLU O MAUI TE WAKA

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SF Amituana i F FALETOLU O MAUI TE WAKA

[32 pages] Zabłudów Courtesy: Wikipedia

Zabludow occupies a special place in the hearts of the Jewish community worldwide. It is a feeling of great sadness and by the same token great pride that Zabludow invokes in all those who care to remember all of the events that have unfolded in this small Polish town. The story is one of death and survival, but mostly of faith, history and human resilience. The Jewish community of Zabludow has suffered immensely and sadly today, no members of the Jewish community live in this town of 2’400 residents. The once powerful Jewish community suffered at the hands of the Nazis and only four people are said to have survived the holocaust. Nevertheless, Zabludow continues to occupy an important place in the heart of Jewish history and culture.

The town is located on the banks of the Meletina River in the Bialystok Province of Poland. Records show earliest settlers arrived in this beautiful part of the world nearly 500 years ago. The history tells a story of economic vibrancy, resilient and powerful Jewish presence and a strong will to survive and endure through the harshness of life. It also emphasizes the depth of despair, war atrocities inflict and how thankfully many Zabludow Jews managed to flee and survive and now can be found in America, Israel, Mexico, Canada, Argentina and other places around the world.

The people have survived and though there are no Jews in Zabludow today, the town will always be a stronghold of Jewish faith, a symbol of survival and resilience and Jews worldwide will always harbor pride in their hearts and fondly remember the town. It is essential to preserve the history of Zabludow, to tell the stories of greatness destroyed at the hands of the hateful Nazi regime, to speak of the unspeakable barbarity of the holocaust, to honor those who were slaughtered and celebrate the survival of others.

Equally, it is imperative to treasure and celebrate the rich Jewish history of the town, tell stories of the once vibrant community and to foster the resilience of its people, those who sadly lost their lives and those whose are still alive today.

The Jewish community is greatly dispersed throughout the world and yet Jewish culture and identity are thriving and the Jewish people value their heritage and treasure their history.

Places like Zabludow contribute and are at the heart of Jewish identity and remembering historic events and cherishing times of great abundance gone by further strengthens the resilient Jewish spirit. Great Synagogue, Białystok

Courtesy: Wikipedia Białystok - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Białystok

Coordinates: 53°07′N 23°09′E Białystok From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Białystok [bʲaˈwɨstɔk] (byah-WIH-stock; Belarusian: Беласток Bielastok, Lithuanian: Balstogė, Russian: Białystok Byalistok) is ביאַליסטאָק :Белосток Belostok, Yiddish the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship.

Located in the Białystok Uplands (Polish: Wysoczyzna Białostocka) of the Podlaskie Plain (Polish: Nizina Północnopodlaska) on the banks of the Biała River, Białystok ranks second in terms of population density, eleventh in population, and thirteenth in area, of the cities of Poland. It has historically attracted migrants from elsewhere in Poland and beyond, particularly from Central and Eastern Europe. This is facilitated by the fact that the nearby border with Belarus is also the eastern border of the European Union, as well as the Schengen Area. The city and its adjacent municipalities constitute Metropolitan Białystok. The city has a Warm Summer Co